5 Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips

Whether you are a fan of the store or not, it is true that to be able to stick to your healthy meal plan you have to have the correct healthy food in the house. Check out my grocery shopping tips to help you meet your weight loss goals AND keep the grocery bill down!

5 Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips From a Registered Dietitian

#1Make a list! Not only is grocery shopping more stressful without a list, you will likely forget something you may need to make another trip. Start with your meal plan on Saturday or Sunday, and make a grocery list from there. The next step is to STICK TO IT! Decrease impulse buys and stick to your budget by only buying what is on your list. Grocery store marketing is a real thing and those candy bars are calling your name because the candy bar company paid a lot of $$ to put them there!

#2 Shop the perimeter! Everything you need is around the perimeter of the store *NOT* in the aisles. This is where you will find all of your fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish and dairy. Try to choose only 1-2 aisles to go down – this will help you save money, time and meet your weight loss goals!

#3 Avoid shopping at peak hours. If anyone else shops at Trader Joe’s you know that this means Sunday afternoon 🙋‍♀️ Typically Saturday mornings, Sunday afternoons and right after work (5:30-6:30PM) are the busiest and least enjoyable times to shop. Try to shop outside of these hours if you can to ensure you have everything on your list without the stress!

#4 Avoid shopping when you are hungry, tired or stressed. This will make it even harder to say “no” to those impulse buys. Try having a snack before you go grocery shopping, or opt to go right after a meal so you aren’t tempted to buy *all the things.*

#5 Say “no” once at the grocery store, or say no every 24 hours at home. If you don’t buy it – it can’t come home with you! Remember this tip for those trigger foods – it might be hard to say no at the grocery store, but think about how much harder it is going to be to say no every single time you walk by the pantry and you see your favorite cookies.